Bike alone? You need this helmet sensor

As a naturally clumsy person, I’m all about using technology to improve safety, whether it’s in a car or on a motorcycle. If there was a device that would beep before my knee collided with a desk, cubicle wall, low table, or other immovable object, I would own 12. As someone who frequently bikes and runs alone, I’m often concerned with the idea of what will happen if I hurt myself in a remote area.

Luckily, ICEdot—where the ICE stands for In Case of Emergency—has partnered with SenseTech, LLC to design a tiny, helmet impact sensor that connects to your smartphone and calls for help in case of emergency. Essentially, the sensor, which can be added to any helmet after purchase, connects to an app and can “detect motion, changes in forces and impacts”. In the event of “significant measured force” like a crash, the sensor initiates an emergency countdown. If the countdown isn’t stopped—clumsy people also drop things a lot—the app notifies your emergency contacts and lets them know your GPS coordinates so someone knows that there was a crash and where you’re located.

A product like this has great potential for extreme sports enthusiast as well as amateur athletes. Since it can be attached to various helmets, it could work for skiers, snowboarders, bikers, skaters, and pretty much anyone else who’s sporting some headgear.

According to Gizmodo, the device will hit the market next year priced at $200.